What are the differences between curl and wget?

What are the differences between curl and wget?

Curl and wget are both command-line tools for transferring data, but they have different features. Curl is more versatile for APIs and supports a wider range of protocols, while wget is better for downloading files and can handle recursive downloads.

Can you explain how they handle downloads differently?

Sure! Wget is designed for downloading files and can download entire websites recursively. It automatically handles retries and can resume interrupted downloads. Curl, on the other hand, is more focused on data transfer and is often used for sending data to servers, making it less suited for large file downloads.

Which one should I use for scripting?

It depends on your needs. If you need to download files or mirror websites, wget is the better choice. If you're working with APIs or need more control over the request, curl is more suitable.

Are there any compatibility issues between the two?

Generally, there are no compatibility issues since they serve different purposes. However, some scripts may need to be adjusted when switching from one tool to the other due to their different command options and syntax.